The 2022 Economic Census of Island Areas covers the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.

In this section:

• Purpose
• History of Program
• Legal Authority and Confidentiality
• Primary Customers and Users
• Products
• 2022 Spanish-Language Economic Census Questionnaires (PDF)
• Release and Revision Schedule
• Island Areas News Stories
• Contact Us

Learn More About the Economic Census of Island Areas:

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Methodology 
• Data

The 2022 Economic Census of Island Areas uses direct data collection supplemented by data from federal administrative records to compile statistics on approximately 50,000 business establishments in industries defined by the 2022 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) operating in Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

The Economic Census provides the only source of comprehensive, comparable data for the Island Areas at a geographic level similar to U.S. counties. It produces basic statistics by industry for number of establishments, sales/value of shipments/revenue, payroll, and employment.  It also yields a variety of industry-specific statistics, including sales/value of shipments/revenue by product line as defined by the North American Product Classification System (NAPCS), depreciable assets, selected purchased services, inventories, capital expenditures, size of establishments, and other industry-specific measures.

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The Economic Census has been taken at 5-year intervals for the following areas, except where noted below:

• American Samoa — Since 2002
• Guam — Since 1958
• Commonwealth the Northern Mariana Islands — Since 1982
• U.S. Virgin Islands — Since 1958
• Puerto Rico — Economic Censuses were conducted beginning with a census of manufactures for 1909 and continuing at 10-year intervals through 1949, excepting 1929. Wholesale and retail trades and services industries were included as part of the economic censuses for 1939. Starting with 1949 through 2002, the censuses of wholesale and retail trades and service industries have been conducted concurrently with the census of manufactures. The census of construction industries has been included since 1967.

The range of industries covered in the economic census for American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico was broadened in 2002. Sectors added for the first time in 2002 include information, finance and insurance, real estate, health care, and other service industries.

Printed statistical reports from the 2002 and earlier censuses provide historical data for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and are available in some libraries.  For American Samoa only the 2002 printed report provides historical data.  Printed reports from 1997 and earlier censuses provide historical data for Puerto Rico.  Reports for 1992, 1997, and 2002 are also available in portable document format (PDF) on the Internet.

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This information collection is part of the 2022 Economic Census, which is required by law under Title 13, United States Code (USC). Section 131 of this statute directs the taking of a census at 5-year intervals. Section 224 makes reporting mandatory.  Section 9 of the same law ensures confidentiality.

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The Economic Census of Island Areas is the major source of statistics about the structure and functioning of the economies of each Island Area, and features the only recognized source of data at a geographic level similar to U.S. counties.  Economic Census statistics serve as part of the framework for the national accounts of the Island Areas and provide essential information for government, business, and the general public.  The governments of the Island Areas and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) rely on the Economic Census as an important part of the framework for their income and product accounts, input-output tables, economic indices, and other composite measures that serve as the basis for economic policymaking, planning, and program administration.  Further, the Economic Census contributes critical source data for current estimates of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Island Areas.  Finally, industry, business, academia, and the general public use information from the Economic Census for evaluating markets, preparing business plans, making business decisions, developing economic models and forecasts, conducting economic research, and establishing benchmarks for their own sample surveys.

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Key statistics produced

Products from this collection summarize data by kind of business for American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The information collected is used to produce statistics on the number of establishments, sales/value of shipments/revenue, annual payroll, first-quarter payroll, and employment for the pay period including March 12, 2022.  Tabulations also summarize information by sales size, employment size, and industry composition by legal form of organization.  A variety of geographic area-specific tabulations for industry-specific statistics will also be included.

Frequency of data products

Data for the Economic Census of Island Areas is collected every five years—for years ending in “2” and “7.”

Geographic detail

The level of geographic detail covered varies by island. Data may be presented for:

• The Island (American Samoa (AS), the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam (GU), Puerto Rico (PR) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI))
• County-equivalent areas (districts (AS), municipalities (CNMI and GU), municipios (PR), and islands (VI))
• Place-equivalent areas (counties (AS) and towns (VI))
• Planning Regions (Presented only for select Puerto Rico data products)
• Metropolitan Statistical Areas (Presented only for select Puerto Rico data products, including Combined Statistical Areas (Combined Areas) Metropolitan Statistical Areas (Metro Areas), and Micropolitan Statistical Areas (Micro Areas))  

Almost all geographic areas (including places, counties, planning regions, and metropolitan areas) will be published in the 2022 Economic Census as of January 1, 2022. Therefore, if a geographic entity has changed boundaries since that date, those changes will not be reflected in the 2022 Economic Census tabulations.

Publication level of detail

The level of industry detail covered varies by island and by table. Basic data are typically presented by two through five-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) detail for American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Industry-specific data for Puerto Rico are typically presented by five-digit NAICS detail. For all other islands, industry-specific data are typically presented at higher, less detailed NAICS levels.

Data dissemination

2022 Economic Census of Island Areas data will be released on data.census.gov, the platform used to access data and digital content from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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• CENSO ECONÓMICO DEL 2022 - Minería, servicios públicos, transporte y almacenamiento
  
• CENSO ECONÓMICO DEL 2022 - Construcción
• CENSO ECONÓMICO DEL 2022 - Fabricación
• CENSO ECONÓMICO DEL 2022 - Comercio al por mayor
• CENSO ECONÓMICO DEL 2022 - Comercio al por menor
• CENSO ECONÓMICO DEL 2022 - Servicios
• CENSO ECONÓMICO DEL 2022 - Finanzas, seguros, bienes raíces, alquiler y arrendamiento
  
• CENSO ECONÓMICO DEL 2022 - Servicios de alojamiento y de comidas  

English versions of all 2022 Economic Census of Island Areas questionnaires can be found in the 2022 Economic Census Survey Repository located here.  Please filter to 2022_ECON-ISLAND_AREAS in the TRADE column of the Repository table.

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The first release of 2022 data products covers American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and is scheduled to occur in June and July of 2024. Data for Puerto Rico will be released in December 2024. In the event of an unplanned data revision, revised statistics may be made available under “Updates” or under “Latest Data.”

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The following coverage highlights travel by Census Bureau staff to the Island Areas to promote the 2022 Economic Census of the Island Areas and coordinate collection with local officials.

American Samoa

• Press Release - American Samoa Department of Commerce
• News Article - Samoa News
• Video - KVZK TV

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

• News Article - Saipan Tribune
• News Article - Marianas Variety

Guam

• News Article - Pacific Daily News
• News Article - Kuam News

• News Article - The Guam Daily Post
• Video - PBS Guam

Puerto Rico

• News Article - News is my Business (NimB)
  
• News Article (En Español) - Metro.PR

U.S. Virgin Islands

• News Article - The St. Thomas Source
• News Article - The Virgin Islands Daily News

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You may contact us by phone at 301.763.3314 or email us at csd.ia@census.gov.

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